Cedar Park - Far Northwest Austin Edition | June 2025

State

BY BEN THOMPSON & CHLOE YOUNG

5 legislative updates from Central Texas lawmakers

The Texas Legislature had until June 2 to pass legislation as the 2025 legislative session comes to a close. Bills voted through both chambers will head to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk and may be signed or vetoed by Abbott until June 22. The Legislature has advanced many bills authored by Austin-area lawmakers that could soon become law.

2 Texas to sell, lease Austin property to support state libraries

Lawmakers approved a plan to support the Texas State Library and Archives Commission through the sale of aging state-owned facilities in Austin. Under SB 1012, sponsored by Rep. Donna Howard, the

Texas General Land Oce would be authorized to sell or lease the state records facility at 4400 Shoal Creek Blvd. Proceeds would go toward improvements to state libraries in Downtown Austin and Liberty.

Library Commission property

1 House backs new business fee relief House Bill 346 by Rep. Caroline Harris Davila, R-Round Rock, would eliminate state licensing and registration fees for rst-year businesses imposed. The proposal passed June 2.

Austin

Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center

Health and Human Services Commission Property

Houston

MOPAC

1011

TRINITY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

COLORADO RIVER

146

WOOD SPRING CREEK

Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building

SANDUNE RD.

3 Bill would impact Austin’s plans for Congress Avenue closure The Texas House passed legislation targeting Austin’s Congress Avenue Urban Design Initiative that’d close several blocks of the street to use as public plaza space. HB 146, co-authored by Rep. Ellen Troxclair, R-Lakeway, would ban roadway lane reductions or closures near the Capitol without state approval.

4 House passes Bitcoin reserve bill The House passed SB 21 to create the Texas Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. The reserve would allow the Texas Comptroller to acquire, sell and manage state investments in Bitcoin and cryptocurrency with a market capitalization of at least $500 billion.

5 Legislation provides further oversight of high-speed rail lines HB 2003, which was sent to Abbott’s desk May 20, would require more transparency around the nancing and creation of high-speed rail projects. The bill, co-authored by Rep. Caroline Harris Davila, R-Round Rock, would mandate entities submit their nancial plans and costs to create a high-speed rail line to the Texas Department of Transportation.

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